Consuming Blaze
by Tatsurou-san
Summary: Another story in my "Darker Origins" series. Not much is truely known about Blaze, her kingdom, and her role as Princess and Guardian of the Sol Emeralds. When the truth is discovered, for quite some time, all it brings is pain. Rated M just to be on the safe side.
1. The Iron Will

1. The Iron Will

Cream floated carefully from pillar top to pillar top through the halls of the palace. She'd been thrown out once already, and had no desire to repeat the experience. However, she wasn't leaving until she did what she'd came here to do. Finally, she came to the room at the center of the palace.

It was a large chamber, perfectly round. Seven pillars, arranged in a perfect circle, were near the outside of the room, surrounding a raised podium in the very rather closely resembled the chamber of the Master Emerald. Glancing up, Cream saw the seven Sol Emeralds, one on each pillar, sitting unmoving, giving off a soft light. On the raised podium, though, was a well made bed. Sitting on the bed, wearing a white robe and sitting in the lotus position, her eyes clozed, was Blaze.

Cream came down to the ground next to the bed. "Hi Blaze!" she said happily.

Blaze jumped on the bed, nearly falling off, flames leaping out of her hands as her eyes shot open. Then she saw Cream, and smiled. "Helo, Cream," she said, the fire fading. "How'd you get here?" She pulled Cream into a quick hug, and Cream laughed. "Come to think of it," Blaze said, looking at Cream, "how come no one announced you?"

Cream frowned. "When I tried to come in the first time, they wouldn't let me in. They kicked me out." She rubbed her rear. "It wasn't pleasant, so I decided not to have it happen a second time. I made my own way in."

Blaze raised an eyebrow. "Really?" she said, amused. "How'd you get past the guards?"

Cream lifted her ears. "They don't look up."

Blaze chuckled quietly. "I'll have to have a word with them about that...as well as how they treat my friends." Blaze leaned back against a large pile of pillows. "So what brings you here, Cream?"

Cream sat nearby on the bed, Cheese idly orbiting her head. "Just visiting. Tails managed to build a machine that can allow us to pass freely between our worlds without problems, so I thought I'd come say hi and let you know."

Blaze smiled. "I see. Well, thank you for coming." She blinked for a bit. "Sorry I'm not good company just now. It's been a long day."

Cream hopped off the bed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

Blaze shook her head. "You didn't wake me. I wasn't asleep."

Cream looked at her. "Why aren't you? If you need to rest-"

"I don't sleep, Cream," Blaze said. "Not ever. I enter a deep meditative state that reenergizes me."

"But...why can't you sleep?"

Blaze sighed. "For the same reason I can never relax, no matter how much I might want to. My bond to the Sol Emeralds." She held out her hand. Flames sprouted from her hand, flowing around her fingers. "I have to keep myself - my physical repsponses, my thoughts, me emotions - under complete control. The flames are always inside me, and come out if I ever relax. The only exception is if I am knocked unconcious. Other than that...sleep, or any other similar relaxed state releases the fire. And if the fire burns unchecked for too long...I, and anyone near me, will be consumed by the flames."

"Oh," Cream said, sitting back on the bed, shocked. "I...I see." She hugged Blaze. "I see why you always keep yourself so tightly controlled. I guess, with that inside, it must be hard to relax." She stepped back. "I'll come visit you again tomorrow." Waving, she flew out.

Sighing, Blaze sat back, about to go back into meditation, when she noticed something. Glancing over, she saw a pattern of red and black behind one of the pillars. She held back her laughter. "I begin to think a 'Do Not Disturb' sign might be more effective than a palace full of guards. How did you get in, Shadow?"

The pattern vanished, and Shadow appeared closer to the bed. He had learned long ago how to tap the Chaos Emeralds power from a distance for his teleportational abilities. He looked up at Blaze. "That's a hard burden you bear, Blaze."

Blaze, looked at him sidelong. "Were you eavesdropping?"

He shook his head. "I came to visit as well. Cream thought we should make seperate ways in, so we'd have better chances of not being kicked out. I just have very good hearing."

Blaze nodded. "I see. Did you warp all the way in, or did you go through the halls?"

"Through the halls. Freezing time was easier than warping." Shadow hesitated then. "If I may ask...if you can never relzax, then what about..." He paused, obviously groping for a polite way to phrase his question.

Blaze sighed. "The bond to the Emeralds - and the power of their fire - is hereditary. Long tradition takes care of that. You probably noticed eight young men along your way in, who stayed together and looked different from the guards." When Shadow nodded, she continued. "The Eight, as they are reffered to, are all strong young men of my age group, men of good breeding. Eight are selected for each generation, one for each Sol Emerald and one for the Princess. When the Princess comes of age to produce an heir...our greatest healers determine when her day of greatest fertility will be. She them chooses one of the Eight to take to her bed to give her an heir." She looks to the floor. "He is given two tinctures...one to guarantee he will sire a child...and the other so that he will not feel the pain as the Princess' flames consume him in the throes of passion." She blinked her eyes, not letting tears fall. "The remaining seven become a ring of steel to protect the Princess. This has been the way of our people since the Princess of Solluna was bonded to the Sol Emeralds as Guardian. This is why I have never gotten to truely know anyone, before I came to your world. Why I never made any friends. It is why I truely value the friendship I share with all of you. Why it is only with all of you I dare to relax, just a little, and let myself feel." She fell silent, and was surprised when Shadow came forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"It's alright," he whispered. "You can let it out. I won't let anyone see you cry."

At first, Blaze was shocked, sitting frozen in Shadow's embrace. But then, after a time, the pain she wasn't even aware of, the pain of loneliness implicit in her existance, hit her full force. With a silent wail, she buried her face in his chestfur, tears of fire running down her cheeks as she wept in emotional agony. 


	2. Living Weapons

2. Living Weapons

Shadow walked down the silent streets of Solluna in the dead of night. Blaze had cried herself out in his arms, then managed to compose herself. She had then thanked him for being there for her. As he'd left her to return to meditation, he thanked whatever powers there were in this world for the one kindness they gave her: if she did not sleep, then she did not dream. With what life had given her, most dreams would be nightmares, and what few good dreams would be torture to awaken from.

Turning as he walked, he saw a few people frozen in the act of going about their business. He had once more stopped time with Chaos Control to give himself room to go as he wished without difficulty, so he could have freedom to think. As he wandered, he glanced down at his chest where Blaze's fire tears had burned him. Already, the burns were healed, and the scorched fur was almost completely grown back. In mere moments, there would be no sign that he had been burned. He had been designed as the ultimate lifeform, after all: an enhanced healing factor was a given for such.

As his thoughts turned to that, he thought back to the reasons for his creation. Gerald had wanted to use him to find a cure for Maria. Maria had wanted him to be her friend, and to protect the people of Earth. The government had wanted him to be their weapon, as had Black Doom. No matter how he looked at it, he had been created to be used. Tool or weapon, he was not meant to be his own entity.

He had come to terms with that after meeting Emerl, and had come to embrace it after destroying Black Doom. He was alright with being a living weapon, existing to destroy. After all, it still left him with the choice that truely defined him: who he would destroy, and who he would destroy for. He chose to fight for those who called themselves his friends.

Blaze had said the line of the Princesses of Solluna had been bound to the Sol Emeralds. Then this wasn't something that had come about naturally. For whatever reason, the link between her line and the emeralds had been crafted...giving her line this curse of the fire of Sol. He knew Blaze, as Princess and Guardian of the Sol Emeralds, was supposed to protect her kingdom and her world with that power, and from that power being misused by the likes of Eggman Nega.

With a flash of insight that sent Shadow staggering and made him lose his grip on the time stop, letting time flow again, Shadow saw why his thoughts wandered so. Because of her hereditary bond to the Sol Emeralds, Blaze was as much a living weapon as he was...with even less choice in her life than he had. She was bound to serve her kingdom and her world...in all matters. Even her choice of mate was little more than a formallity, as he got the impression that The Eight were selected by others. Every major decision of her life - outside of immediate battle decisions - was made for her. Who she fought and why were not up to her, only how. She could never have friends among her own people, because she was never allowed to relax and discover her own identity...until she'd met all of them.

Pushing off the wall he had leaned against, he raised his hand to the dampness he felt against his cheeks. He realised the force of the realisation had caused him to weep for Blaze, for the curse of her existance. His heart went out to her, his own pain at realization known to be but a poor echo of what she must live with every day. He identified with her, knowing what it was like to exist to be used by others, only able to guess at how painful it must be to have no choice in who used you.

When one of the people in the streets yelled at him to get a move on, it was all he could do not to incinerate them on the spot. He settled for glaring at them. The force of his glare must have been more intense than usual, as the poor sot backed away so fast he tripped over his own feet, then turned and fled, shouting apologies over his shoulder. Shadow sighed, turning back to his walk. He left the city of Solluna, gazing out into the night of the world. He found himself wishing he could take some of Blaze's pain away, if only for a little while.

As he thought about this, he found that in trying to understand Blaze's pain, he had come to understand himself a little better as well. He had been truely fortunate to have had Maria in his formative years aboard the ARK, being both mother and sister to him. He didn't know if Blaze had EVER had anyone in her life to show her love. He knew from what he overheard that she had ascended the throne at an unprecedented young age after the death of her mother.

As he thought about this, he began to understand his own motives a bit better. He found himself once more glancing at where he had been burned by her tears. By now, there was no sign that he had been injured. "No," he muttered to himself. "It's not quite fast enough..." He paused, then, as he thought about what he was saying. Then he smiled to himself, and warped back to his own world.

He stopped by Tails lab and knocked. When Tails answered, he was wide awake and somewhat surprised. "Hey Shadow! What brings you here?"

Shadow smiled. "Tails, I'm wondering if you could build something for me..." As Shadow explained what it was he wanted Tails to build, Tails' eyes got wider and wider. When Shadow finished, he ran to make some rapid calculations, then turned back to Shadow.

"I believe I can, Shadow...but I'm going to need help at the other end, since the activation process will be rather delicate." He handed Shadow a sheaf of blueprints. "Thankfully, I know someone who can help with that. She lives on Southern Island, in Windmill Village. You'll know who she is easily. Give her these, and let her know I'll be in contact."

Shadow nodded. "Thanks, Tails." He turned to go.

"Even if everything goes perfectly," Tails called after him, "it will still take at least three months to complete!"

Shadow smiled back over his shoulder. "Take your time, Tails," he said. "There are things I would take that time to do, anyway." He warped away.

They were both living weapons, their choices proscribed by their roles. It was time to take their choices into their own hands. 


	3. Courting Life

3. Courting Life

Blaze sighed to herself as she listened to the endless debates regarding the law between the various ministers regarding the ruling of the kingdom. She had been away for quite some time recently, seeing to various matters of interdimensional urgency, and many proposals had waited on her return before being presented. As such, she was compelled to listen to a full discussion of each by all of the ministers who ran the various aspects of the kingdom. Trying to help herself through all of this - the least enjoyable but very important part of being a princess - she imagined that each of her friends were there, and how they would take this situation.

Tails would have tried to find a technical solution to any of the problems. Not very useful, as Solluna ran more towards the mystical then the technological.

Cream would have tried listening for a time, but probably dozed off. She was only a little girl, after all.

Knuckles probably would have fallen asleep by now, snoring loudly, not caring who he offended. At least until Rouge gave him a good whack for it.

Amy would probably have gotten bored and started painting her nails. Probably would have offered to paint Blaze's nails, too. Despite frequent offers, Blaze had never taken Amy up on that. She wondered if it was really as enjoyable as Amy made it out to be.

Marine, the technically gifted aussie raccoon from Southern Island, probably would have blown something up - accidentaly, of course - by now out of sheer boredom.

Sonic would have asked why the ministers were bothering her with this. After all, he would say, if it's their jobs to run these various aspects of the kingdom, shouldn't they be DOING their jobs rather than yammering at her?

Blaze hid a smile at this last thought. Across from her, the High Minister - an elderly feline who had served her mother in the same position and had played a large role in her own upbringing - raised an eyebrow briefly.

Shadow...for some reason she couldn't quite imagine how Shadow would react to these proceedings. All she could picture of him, for some reason, was his calm smile, and the way he had held her last night. As she thought of him, she felt a fluctuation in the energy of the Sol Emeralds, one she recognized. It was how they reacted to the use of Chaos energy near them, but not as strong as if a Chaos Emerald were involved. She blinked slowly, pretty certain she knew who and what had caused this reaction. She stood.

"Your Highness?" the High Minister asked calmly, looking at her sharply. "Is something the matter?"

Blaze felt guilty about abandoning her duties thusly, but she had never had a strong head for law. She bowed respectfully. "Forgive me, Ministers, but I felt a fluctuation in the power of the Sol Emeralds, and must investigate." They all nodded in response. Tending to the Emeralds power was, after all, one of her primary duties. "I trust, High Minister, that you will tend to the needs of the people in my absence with the kindness and consideration you have always shown?" With his nod of ascent, she turned and headed to the Emerald Chamber, where she felt the disturbance come from.

Shadow was there, leaning against one of the seven pillars, smiling at her. "Hello, Blaze."

"Shadow," she said, making an effort to mantain her equanimity while still sounding pleasant. "What brings you here?"

He looked straight at her. "You."

She took a step back, unsure of what he meant. "What do you mean?"

"When was the last time you did anything for fun?"

She glanced away. "I am the Princess, and Guardian of the Sol Emeralds. I...do not have the luxury of having 'fun'." She calmed her mind, struggling to keep her emotions under control.

Shadow stepped towards her. "Maybe you should try it." Smiling, he placed his hand on her arm.

Before she could flinch away, there was a flash of light. When she could see again, she didn't recognize her surroundings. All she could see were grassy hills stretching out into the distance. "Where are we?" she demanded.

"Green Hill Zone," he answered calmly. "It's a rather quiet place in my world...away from the duties that bind you in your own. Don't worry, I can have you back before anyone misses you...but I thought you should get a chance to have a little fun first."

"Oh?" Blaze asked, arching an eyebrow. "And what sort of fun did you have in mind?"

"I thought we might go for a run, just to feel the winds blow our cares away." He held out his hand. "Care to join me?"

Slowly, hesitantly, she took his hand. "Sounds...nice."

With that, they took off, running for all they were worth across the grassy landscape.

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This was but the first of many times over the next few months that Shadow came to her to help her have fun. He would always teleport into the Emerald Chamber and, when she joined him, would whisk her away to someplace in his world where they could just have fun. Once, he took her to a movie that had recently come out...after explaining the concept of a movie to her, as she'd never encountered one in her own world. Another time, he took her to a Chao Garden, where she enjoyed playing with the Chao who lived there. Another time he took her up onto the Space Colony ARK, where he had been created, to show her the view of the world from outer space.

Another time - one of the more memorable times - he had simply taken her to dinner. It was a nice enough restaraunt - not too fancy, but not shabby either - and the selection was quite good. The part that had surprised Blaze - and embarrassed her somewhat - was when the server had brought them their meals, she had said, "I'll just leave you two lovebirds alone, shall I?" To compound her embarrassment, Shadow had simply thanked her. It was almost as though Shadow saw no need to correct a mistaken impression.

What began to worry Blaze more, when she began to think about it, was that the impression might not be mistaken. Taken individually, each outing was exactly what Shadow said it was...just two friends having fun. Taken in aggregate, though...it began to seem as though Shadow was courting her.

This last realization kept Blaze from a night's meditation. If Shadow were courting her...no good could come of it. After all, she could not pursue any sort of relationship with him beyond friendship. Her duties - and nature - as Princess procluded that. After all, the time for her to choose her mate was approaching...and with what would happen to her mate, she could never choose someone for whom she truely cared...but if she turned Shadow away, she risked destroying their friendship. The pain at the thought was almost more than she could bear. 


	4. Painful Pleasure

4. Painful Pleasure

Blaze looked up into Shadow's eyes with a soft smile. It had been nearly 3 months since Shadow had first taken her on one of these outings to show her a fun time. He came by at least once a week, just appearing in the Emerald chamber to take her to his world for some fun. Always, she had gone with him. He was her friend, and slowly, he was coming to mean more to her than that. ...and that was what frightened her. Because friends was all they could ever be.

Today he had taken her ballroom dancing. As the musicians played, he led her in a slow waltz, he in an outfit just a few steps removed from a full tuxedo, her in a beautiful silver gown he had picked out for her. She could feel herself relaxing, wishing she dared let go, become one with the music, the dance...him...

Barely getting control of herself, she managed to speak. "Where did you learn to dance like this, Shadow?"

Shadow smiled back. "Right here. This is also a dancing school. The teachers tell me I'm a very good student."

That confirmed it in her mind. There was only one reason Shadow would be going to such great lengths for her like this. Even so, she couldn't just assume. "Shadow," she began slowly, "everything you've done...it begins to feel as if you were...courting me." She waited for his response.

After a time, it came. "Would it be so terrible if I was?" he asked softly.

Blaze mantained her self control just barely. "Shadow...you know what waits in my future, what will happen to the one I...lie with." She looked away. "Even were the option open to me, I would never do that to one for whom I truely cared. Nothing can come between us beyond friendship, which was more than I ever had before. Friends is all we can be...no matter how much we wish otherwise." The music ended. It was the last song of the night. "Take me home now, Shadow, please."

Shadow let his arms fall. "Alright," he said slowly, "but do me one favor before you make your final decision, alright?" She nodded. "One week from today...take the Sol Emeralds to Windmill Village on Southern Island. Marine will show you where to go."

Blaze looked up at him, confused. "Shadow?"

"Please," he whispered.

She sighed. "Alright, Shadow. I shall."

He smiled. "Thank you. I shall see you anon." He placed his hand on her shoulder.

In a flash of light, she was back in the Emerald Chamber of Solluna Palace, the unwinking light of the Sol Emeralds shining down on her. She sighed. Normally, he warped back with her, to bid her good night at least. But then, she did just put an end to it all. She held the fabric of the gown in her hand. After next week, it would all be over. The healers had told her: three days after that would be her day of peak fertility, when she would have to take one of the Eight to her bed to give her a child. Always before, she looked upon that event with a sense of duty and, at most, resignation.

Now, she faced it with dread.

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On the day Shadow specified, Blaze came into the Emerald Chamber and held up her hand. The Sol Emeralds came at her call, hovering around her. She turned to leave, the Emeralds following like a pack of loyal hounds. The High Minister entered.

"Your Highness," he said, "where are you taking the Sol Emeralds?"

She looked at him with a sad smile. "There is something I must tend to, Shine," she said, addresing him by name. "I will be on the Southern Island if you need me."

He nodded, but looked at her closely. "Blaze," he said quietly, so only she would hear, "you sound as though you go to a funeral."

Blaze gamely held back her tears. "In a way, I do. My own." With that, she headed out of the palace before he could stop her. She decided not to take a boat, as that would take too long. Heading straight for the coast, she called forth her fire to push her fast enough to race across the surface of the sea.

Before too long, she reached the Southern Island. Marine waved to her. "G'day Blaze!" she called out. "Yer Captain's got everythin' ready for ya. Tails said it'd be today!"

Blaze looked at Marine in confusion. What did Tails have to do with this? Before she could ask anything, though, Marine guided her to a door.

The door was unusual for any number of reasons. For one, It did not appear to be composed entirely of physical matter. For another, one could see through it. But the most unusual thing about the door...was that it was not set in a wall. It was set in a strange platform, with various machines hooked up to it. "Ya go through that door, Blaze! From this side only. If'n ya use the other side, no telling where you'll end up."

Blaze went up to the door. This must be what Shadow had wanted her to do. She opened the door and stepped through.

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She found herself in a strange place. All she could see of her surroundings was swirling masses of color. There was no shape, no definition, no terrain. She walked on something that seemed solid to her feet, but there was nothing visible to be walking on. After a time, she saw Shadow in the distance. She ran forward, feeling strangely energized in this place.

"Shadow!" she called out as she approached. As she got closer, however, she skidded to a halt.

Shadow had the Chaos Emeralds with him.

"Shadow...what are you doing?" she demanded in fear. The Chaos and Sol Emeralds did not always react well to each other.

"What I must," he whispered, as the Chaos Emeralds swirled around him. There was a sudden flash of light as the Emeralds suddenly seemed to fall into him. When the light faded...Shadow's black fur had turned golden, and an aura of golden light surrounded him. Pointing his hand forward, he launched a blast of Chaos energy...right at Blaze.

Blaze dove out of the way, the Sol Emeralds merging with her almost of their own accord. As their fire poured off her body - this was the only state she had discovered in which she didn't have to hold back, either the fire or her emotions - she shouted, "Shadow! Why?"

Shadow said nothing, but continued to attack.

Blaze dodged each of his atacks - all energy based - as best she could, constantly asking, eventually begging, that he stop, that he explain himself. He would not halt or hesitate, however. He was relentless. Then one of the blasts hit her.

She rocked backward. Although there was no physical damage, it had still hurt. She didn't know how long she'd be able to mantain this form, and if she were forced to release the emeralds while Shadow continued to attack...he would kill her. She did not know why, but it seemed Shadow was deliberatly trying to end her life. In desperation, fear, and emotional agony...she channeled all the fire she could into her hands and released it.

The inferno she had thus crafted raged forth from within her, heading right for Shadow. He did nothing to dodge. He simply spread his arms and let it hit him.

Seeing the inferno rage over him, and hearing him cry in pain, Blaze sank to her knees in tears. She did not know what was going on or why...but she knew she had just killed the only man she would ever get a chance to love, and who had tried to show her love.

But when the inferno had passed, she stared, as Shadow stood where he had been, the only sign of the inferno's impact tears that ran down his cheeks in twin rivers. He spoke softly, but Blaze heard him quite clearly. "...that I should cause you such pain, when all I meant was to give you joy..." He turned, obviously intending to leave.

Blaze got to her feet. "Shadow!" she called out after him, and he stopped. She tried to formulate her thoughts, figure out what to ask first. In the end... "What is this place?"

Shadow turned to face her. "Our worlds are linked. This place is an artificially created dimensional space along the link, composed entirely of Ring Energy. Here, the Chaos and Sol Emeralds can exist without reaction to each other...and we can mantain our super forms indefinately."

She stared at him in shock. If she could mantain her synchronis with the Sol Emeralds like this indefinately here, then she could freely express her emotions within this place. Synchronised completely as she was, the fires would not consume her unless she ran out of the Ring Energy used to mantain the synchronis...which would never happen here. "But why did you attack me?" she demanded, pain in her voice as tears ran down her cheeks.

Matching tears ran down his own cheeks as he tapped his chest. "Would you have believed," he whispered quietly, "if I told you your flames could not harm me in this form...if you hadn't seen it with your own eyes?"

Blaze stared at him in utter shock.

Shadow started to turn away again. "When your flames passed over me, I screamed...not because their fire hurt, but because I could feel the emotions that had gone into their making. I...can only hope that someday you will forgive me for what I have done." He began to walk towards a door in the distance, not the one Blaze had come here through.

Without warning, Blaze tackled him to the non-existant ground. As he looked up in shock, she had him pinned beneath her, facing her. "You are too cruel," she whispered, her voice heavy with a heat that had nothing to do with rage. "To do all this for me, when the time is so close...and just walk away? I thought you wanted to bring me joy."

Shadow stared at her in shock. "Blaze-" he started to say.

"Don't talk," she whispered, "and don't try to run." She smiled, the sharp points of her teeth more pronounced than normal. "Or I'll bite."

Shadow nodded, smiling.

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Hours later...

Blaze lay in Shadow's arms, utterly spent. Her muscles were incredibly sore from their exertions, but the fire of Sol that still poured from her was easing the aches. Her arms wrapped around him, she nuzzled into his chest fur, unwilling to move from the spot. Her clothes were around here...somewhere. She'd lost track of them part way through. She chuckled to herself. She'd lost track of a lot of things. As she felt her weariness catch up to her, she smiled up at Shadow - her friend and now lover - and closed her eyes. And for the first time in her life since the death of her mother, she slept.

The fire of Sol and the Light of Chaos flickered and danced around them, a spark of life against the Rainbow Sea. 


	5. Past and Future

5. Past and Future

'In the beginning, all was crafted in balance. For everything that existed, there was another that existed to balance it. Life and Death. Good and Evil. Truth and Lies. Fire and Water. Earth and Wind. And strongest of all, Light and Darkness.

'All these things were in cycle, preserving the balance of the world. Representing each force was a God, whose purpose was to mantain the balance. The most powerful of these Gods were Sol and Luna. Sol was the God of Light: his symbol was the Sun. Luna was the God of Darkness. Her symbol was the Moon.

'These two Gods, unlike other sets of opposites, did not struggle against each other, but worked together. For in truth, they had learned that - in existing to balance each other - they completed each other. They were friends, lovers, life mates. And from their union descended unto our world the Seeds of Life, from which all life of our world sprang.

'From the Seeds of Life sprang the races of sentients, those of us who populate our world. Many tribes came from this, and each tribe sought out a God to honor and worship. In return, each God bestowed their blessings and protections upon them. In one place, however, a family gathered together many followers to worship the union between Sol and Luna. This pleased the Gods, and they bestowed their joint blessings upon the people, and they built a great kingdom there. In honor of the joined Gods, they named their kingdom Solluna.

'Then came the Time of Conflict. For unknown reason, Sol and Luna began to make bloody war, each upon the other. The other Gods were pulled into the struggle, as were many of the races of the world. Many races - and Gods - were drawn into the conflict, and many races were wiped out, as were nearly all the Gods. But the people of Solluna did not join in when the wedded Gods made war on each other.

'Sol and Luna, consumed by their rage, created great weapons to do battle. Luna crafted the Moon Beast, a being of terrible destruction and carnage, forged from the flesh of the fallen God of War. Sol crafted seven gems of power, which he used to strike against the Moon Beast. These gems came to be known as the Sol Emeralds.

'In the end, the power of the Sol Emeralds was to much for the Moon Beast, and it was slain. Then came the Time of Woe. For lo, Sol and Luna had imbued some of their life force into their weapons, and with the death of the Moon Beast came the death of Luna as well. Sol's wails of grief for slaying his beloved echoed into the infinite, and the Sol Emeralds lost all control. Without Sol to guide them, their power lashed out at all things.

'The royals of Solluna - the descendants of the family who had gathered the people there - were four in number: King Skie, Queen Phila, Prince Dawnstar, and Princess Sunfire. Each had great love for their people, and great skill in both Sun and Moon Magic. Working long hours through several days, they eventually crafted The Choke.

'The Choke was a spell that would be applied to the Sol Emeralds, to contain their power and keep it in check. When applied, it seemed to work, as the power of the Sol Emeralds seemed to be contained. Then Sol cried out again, and The Choke shattered.

'Once more they tried to apply The Choke, and once more it shattered with Sol's grief. Then Princess Skyfire spoke. "It is not enough to seal the power of the Emeralds. Sol's grief is what is destroying all through them, not the Emeralds themselves. We must act to assuage the God's grief."

'"But how can we hope to heal the pain of a God?" asked King Skie

'"I will offer myself to Sol as his new bride," Skyfire replied. "Perhaps in this way, I might ease his pain."

'And so Princess Skyfire went into the Chamber prepared for the Choke and worked the great magics. Before too long, her cries of agony echoed through the palace, and her family wept, fearing they had lost her. Long hours went by, at first punctuated by her screams, but soon the screams ended.

'Not long after the last scream, all was still. The Princess emerged, but she was no longer the same. Her fur had lost much of its luster, and her eyes were hollow. And her voice, when she spoke, was dead, without emotion.

'"Sol's pain and grief come forth in the fire," she said, "and to contain his pain, and fire, my own emotions had to be supressed. And so, to save my people, I have killed my heart. I am now only what Sol would have me be."

'The King and Queen bewailed their grief anew, but Prince Dawnstar asked, "And what will happen now?"

'"There are things that must be done before the fires consume me, as I cannot mantain control of them forever. Once all is made ready, my Daughter shall carry on after me, and her Daughter after her. From this day forth, my lineh a sbecome the Bride of Sol. Form this day forth, we are the Living Choke."

'Dawnstar nodded. "Then, beloved sister, from this day forth, I shall serve you well, and aid you in whatever way you need. And so shall my Son serve your Daughter, and his Son after him. My bloodline shall support yours for so long as the Living Choke is needed. Yey, even until the end of days."

'And so was born the Line of Fire, the Guardians of the Sol Emeralds, and the Line of Light, the High Ministers who serve them so loyally and faithfully.'

Blaze set the book down to rub her eyes. There was so much here, the history of her people. She had only reached the end of the beginning, and she had so much further to go. She had read all of this before. Traditionally, her Mother would have read it to her the first time when Blaze was 5, but...her mother had not been very strong. She never fully recovered from giving birth to Blaze, and had only held on for a year, just long enough for Blaze to have some self control when the Geis of the Choke passed to her, and she became the Guardian.

While she had read this story many times, she was supposed to read it again in preperation for two days hence, when she was to choose a mate to give her a child. She knew, when it happened, that it would be nothing like what had passed between her and Shadow in the Rainbow Sea the day before, but...this was her duty. There was no escaping it.

Noticing it was getting on towards evening, she reached out to extend a flame from within her to light a ring of candles around her. As light returned, she picked up the book and continued to read.

Come morning, as she reached the end of the book - she had not been able to meditate, nor did she feel the need to this night - she looked up and noticed something quite concerning. The candles had not been lit. The light that had illuminated her later reading had come from the Sol Emeralds, which gleamed brightly on their pillars, almost seeming to dance.

Blaze frowned, and focused on the candle in front of her. As she always did, she relaxed her hold on the fires within her, directing them at the candle in front of her. Nothing happened. Beginning to feel the start of panic, she mantained her focus. This time, she willed the fire out of her, driving it as she did while merged with the Sol Emeralds. Still nothing happened.

Feeling the full force of panic, Blaze called out, "High Minister!"

The High Minister came running, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Your Highness? What is it that troubles you?"

"I can not call the fire of Sol!" she said, letting the fear color her voice.

Startled, the High Minister stared at her, then looked up. He became almost limp as he stared at the Emeralds. "The Emeralds are dancing..." he said, his voice filled with awe.

Blaze looked up at them. "So? They've been doing that since I returned from Southern Island. What does that have to do with anything?"

The High Minister looked straight at her. "Whilst the Sol Emeralds dance, they withhold their fire from you."

Blaze stepped back in shock. "Why?"

"It is a safety measure," he replied. "Only the Princess bonded to the emeralds can survive the flames of Sol. When they erupt, even one of her blood would be burned."

Blaze nodded. "This I know," she said sadly. This was why she had never been held in her mother's arms, as her mother had become too weak after giving brith to reliably contain the fires.

Shine continued. "This is not told to the Guardians until after it occurs, as not all are strong or brave enough to deal with it. But whilst the Sol Emeralds dance, the fires are withheld...because they only dance whilst a child slumbers beneath the Guardians heart."

Blaze stepped back in shock. "You mean..."

"I saw this with your grandmother while I was a child...and then with your mother while I served. If the Sol Emeralds dance for you, Highness...then you are with child."

Blaze managed to steady herself as she could feel herself about to faint. "Then...that means..." She shook her head. If she was already with child, then she would not be called upon to choose a mate. The line was continued without that particular ceremony. She smiled. "I can't wait to tell Shadow," she said at last.

The High Minister looked up at her. "Who is Shadow?" he asked, confused. "And why should he be told?"

Blaze laughed. "So he can be there when his daughter is born, of course."

The High Minister fainted. 


	6. Pleasurable Pain

6. Pleasurable Pain

Blaze slept pleasently on her bed in the center of the Emerald Chamber, her hand idly stroking her abdomen in slumber. She had only the sheet to guard her from cold in the night, but the Sol Emeralds kept the room pleasantly warm. Deep in her sleep, she dreamed of what it would be like to be a mother...what it would be like to share that life with Shadow.

Suddenly, the room became unbearably hot, and she rolled over in discomfort. A solid thump struck the bed where she had been moments ago. Shooting awake with a start, she rolled aside. The emeralds glow having dimmed while she slept, all she could make out was the size of her attacker...for that was what had happened. Someone had somehow snuck into the Palace, past the Eight - who were supposed to be a ring of steel to protect her while she could not wield the fire of Sol - and tried to attack her.

Desperately, she evaded continued strikes, but she soon realized she had relied on her fire for too long. Without, she could barely fight at all, and was next to helpless. Cursing such foolishness, she promised herself she'd get Shadow to give her some hand to hand combat lessons...assuming she survived this.

After a time, she noticed that all her attackers strikes were aimed at her abdomen, despite occasional opportunities to strike elsewhere. With a cold shock, she realized it wasn't her her attacker was after. They sought the life of her baby.

Seizing the book of history from a nearby table, she swung it awkwardly, desperate to get her attacker away from her. It was a poor choice of weapon however, as it was heavy and unwieldly. The attacker ducked under it and lunged for her while she was off balance. She screamed in fear.

All of a sudden, there was a flash of rainbow light directly in front of the attacker, and he was sent flying back. With a flash, Shadow was there, his eyes furious. He raced after the attacker, with Blaze close behind.

In the well lighted hallways nearby, Shadow knocked the attacker head over heels, slamming him against the walls. It was at that point Blaze caught up, clutching the sheet to herself, and recognized the attacker. "Maverick?" she gasped in shock. "You're one of the Eight! Why would you do this?"

Maverick glared up at Shadow and Blaze. "A life is given to the fire to create the new life. Thus the Child of Sol becomes the Bride of Sol. This blasphemy must be cleansed!" He lunged for Shadow and Blaze.

Shadow had had enough. "I don't understand what you are talking about...but you are a threat to Blaze." He kicked him callously away. "As one of the Eight, you swore to lay down your life if Blaze had need of it, yes?" As Maverick got back to his feet, Shadow held his hand forward. "She has need." He snapped his fingers.

Maverick's head lurched back, and he fell to the ground, blood leaking from eyes, nose, mouth, and ears. Others who had gathered - the High Minister and the other Seven among them - stepped back in shock. When Shadow turned to the other seven, they all went down on one knee, heads bowed, the blade of their ceremonial spears at the side of their throats. Blaze recognized the pose. They had failed in their duty to protect her, and were ready to offer their lives as forfeit for their failure. As the one who had saved Blaze, it was up to Shadow wether or not to end their lives...but Shadow didn't know this.

Shadow glowered at them. "Clean up this mess," he snapped, "and dispose of this body where I don't need to look at it. And make sure this doesn't happen again, or you answer to me."

The Seven immediately jumped to their feet and got to work. Shadow turned and - ignoring all those present and several eons of laws and traditions he wasn't aware of - pulled Blaze into his arms. "I was so afraid for you, Blaze," he whispered.

Blaze leaned into the embrace, sighing in contentment, for the moment able to ignore the startled gasps from the assembled. When the High Minister coughed, however, she pulled back. With a gesture, she directed the High Minister and Shadow to return with her to the Emerald Chamber.

When they returned, the High Minister spoke up. "Your Highness, who is this? And what is that power he used to defend you?"

Blaze smiled. "This is Shadow, High Minister. He comes from another world, one sustained by Chaos. He wields power drawn from there." Shyly, she took Shadow's hand in hers. While she knew how she felt about him, she was still new to displaying those feelings before others.

Smiling, the High Minister nodded. "I shall speak with you both about this in the morning, then." He turned and left.

Shadow turned to Blaze. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Blaze smiled. "No, he didn't...thanks to you." Dropping the sheet, she pulled him onto the bed on top of her. "My hero," she whispered, kissing him soundly.

Shadow melted into the kiss, just holding her tight. When she rolled over to get on top of him, though, he paused. "Blaze I don't-" he started to say, explaining that he couldn't use the Chaos Emeralds to go super here, but he paused. He'd noticed just how open she had been with her emotions, how relaxed she was...and no fire had come forth. "Blaze, where is your fire?" he asked, his fear and concern for her heavy in his voice.

Blaze smiled. "While the Emeralds dance, they withhold their fire from me."

Shadow's eyes widened in shock. "Why?" he asked.

She kissed him soundly on the mouth. "So they won't harm the baby, silly."

Shadow's eyes went huge. "B...baby?" At Blaze's nod, he fainted dead away.

Blaze sighed, resting her elbows on his chest, her face in her palms. "I knew I should have said, 'I'll tell you later'," she mumbled under her breath.

0000000000000000000

The next morning, Shadow met with the High Minister while Blaze was taking a bath. "Who was that who attacked Blaze...and why?" Shadow asked.

Shine sighed. "That was Maverick, one of the Eight...and the one everyone - including him - expected Blaze to choose to give her a child."

Shadow nodded. "Okay...that would explain why he might attack me, but why go after Blaze? Wasn't he sworn to protet her?"

Shine shook his head. "He's sworn to protect the line. Did you understand what he said about blasphemy?" Shadow shook his head. "Well, long tradition - laid down by the first Guardian, Princess Skyfire - dictates the mating ritual for the Guardian and its meaning. According to that tradition - as it's been translated - the one whose life is given to the fire to give the Guardian a child...binds the power of the God Sol to the ritual, allowing Sol's power to fill the child, and thus be born the next Guardian. The fact that this didn't happen - that you found a way to be with her without being consumed by the fire - can be viewed as denying the God Sol, and the child not having the connection to Sol neccessary to become the next Guardian." Shine shook his head. "Unfortunately, quite a few people - the most fanatical or devout - will believe this way. While many others see it as Sol's blessing - a gift from Sol to reward Blaze for all she has done, so much more than any previous Guardian since Skyfire - there is much...tension amongst the people over this development." He sighed. "I fear for what this will bring for Blaze...and the people."

Shadow sat in silence. "Is...is there anything I can do?" he asked. "I...I had come when I did because...I had meant to ask Blaze if she would be my wife."

Shine shook his head. "As much as it would make you both very happy to do so, it cannot be. As Guardian, Blaze is the Bride of Sol. As such, she can have no mortal husband unless Sol himself decrees it so."

Shadow sat in silence after this, pondering for a very long time. At last, he spoke. "Is there someplace near here sacred to Sol? Someplace...older than the city?"

Shine looked at him in confusion. "There is an ancient shrine two miles inland outside the city...why?"

Shadow stood and turned in the direction indicated. "You say I need Sol's permission to marry Blaze...I'm going to go ask for it." With that, he gathered the energy for Chaos Control. "When Blaze gets out of her bath, let her know what I go to do." With that, he vanished. 


End file.
